The technology disclosed herein generally relates to systems and methods for inspecting an object. More specifically, the subject matter relates to inspecting an alignment of one or more gratings on an object.
The advent of new methods such as laser scribing, contacting, shadowing, and the like, have led to the manufacture of gratings on objects (e.g., airfoils, solar cells, and the like). The efficiency and performance of such objects are often directly affected by the alignment of the gratings. For example, airfoils are manufactured with thin riblets (i.e., gratings) on their surface. The efficiency of the airfoil is dependent on the alignment of the riblets because the riblets affect the airflow dynamics and the drag experienced by the airfoil. In another example, solar cells are manufactured with thin gratings on their surfaces. The electrical efficiency of such solar cells is dependent on the alignment of the thin gratings. Current methods of inspecting the alignment of gratings include, for example, manual inspection, inspection using a scanning spot system, and the like. In the manual inspection method, since the gratings are very small, an operator uses a magnifier and visually inspects sections of the object. The manual inspection method is laborious and may lead to errors because such an inspection method is dependent on the quality and experience of the operator. The inspection method using a scanning spot system involves generating a three dimensional map of the object for inspection. This inspection method is very time consuming as the generation of the map often takes a few hours.
Thus, there is a need for an enhanced system and method for inspecting the alignment of gratings on an object.